Board & Batten Kitchen Island Makeover

Today I am going to share with you the tutorial on how Mr. Rosemary Lane created a new look for our rather boring kitchen island for just under $300. Now the island is fairly large and you can see that it has a 45 degree angle at the far end. The counter top space measures 94 inches at its longest point. Since it is so long we made the decision to paint the island white in an effort to break up all of the honey toned wood of the kitchen cabinets.

Materials used in this project were...

16  3 1/2 inch wide X 4ft. oak boards (one was used to create each box)

1 4ft X 4ft MDF board with 1/2 inch thickness

1 2ft. X 4ft. MDF board with 1/2 thickness

4 inch wide baseboard molding enough to go around the entire island

miter saw

air compressor nail gun

wood glue

white caulk and paint

First we had to remove the old quarter round from around the entire island. (Michael helped with this job.)

Then it was decided to make the sides of the boxes 3 1/3 inches in width. This actually determine how many boxes we would need to cover the back and sides of the island, which when all was said and done it totaled eight boxes. Both MDF and the oak boards were used to create each box. 

The bottom board is MDF cut in 7 1/2 inch wide strips. This is so when the 4 inch wide baseboard was attached there would be 3 1/2 inches exposed to match the width of the oak boarding.

After carefully measuring and cutting all of the boards needed, assembly began.

The board mapping was done very simply in an end to end fashion. No angles were cut except for where the counter took its own 45 degree angle. To the back of each board was first applied a healthy amount of wood glue. Then the board was attached to the back of the existing counter using less than one inch nails. Once Mr. RL was done attaching all of the boards, I sanded down the old finish along with the oak boards and gave the entire island a coat of fresh white paint.

As you can see we have an outlet at the end of the island which was going to interfere with the flow of the board and batten. We thought about moving the outlet box but that seemed like an awful lot of extra work. Instead I found outlet covers at Lowes which had a bit of thickness to it which almost perfectly matched the 1/2 inch thickness of the boards. Mr. Rosemary Lane cut around the outlet cover and then I caulked to blend it together before painting.

The front of the island is all drawers with one cabinet. So I took everything out to the garage to give it a good sanding down

Then with a sponge roller I painted on the white. New bin style drawer pulls from Home Depot replaced the old handles. I needed eight and each pull ran $4.99.

The final step in this process was to add the 4 inch baseboard to the bottom of the island. Here 45 degree angles were cut to match up the ends of the baseboard to create a neat and finished look.

Again the BEFORE...

...and the AFTER

  The BEFORE

The AFTER

In retrospect we could have done the entire island using only the MDF which would have saved us close to 1/3 of the total project cost. However at the time Mr. RL wasn't sure about using all MDF so he went ahead and purchased the oak.

But overall I am thrilled with the pretty board and batten in the bright white. It's funny because in the late afternoon when the natural sunlight hits the island it seems to take on a beautiful glow!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

XO

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Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

Elizabeth & Co.
Savvy Southern Style
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My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Dedicate House

2016 Spring Home Tours - And Kitchen Reveal

It's here!! Finally Spring has sprung and in a big way!!! With all the warm weather we have had and the expected 70's for today, how could I not be in Spring mode? This year I also have been inspired by yellow for the spring. Not sure if it is something I have keyed into through the blogosphere or just my inner designer being pulled toward the bright sunny color, but yellow is now everywhere throughout our home! 

First I want to thank one of the sweetest and most elegant ladies of blogging, my friend Marty from the wonderful blog A Stroll Thru Life , for putting together this amazing 5 day 30 blog home tours.

If you are joining me from the lovely blog Monica Wants It welcome. I hope you are enjoying today's home tours. There is a lot of inspiration to be found on these tours...I know that I have been constantly blown away by all the talent! 

If you are here for the first time let me tell you a little bit about myself and my style of decorating.

 I am a mom raising two kids, one rambunctious 11 year old boy Michael, and a 13 year old tomboy daughter Grace. I am also the wife of one big kid and avid DIYer Mr. Rosemary Lane, not to mention a mom to our two furbabies, Moe the cat and our big giant doggie Buster. Needless to say life here on Rosemary Lane is never dull. My style is pretty much "whatever I can find cheap or free" and incorporate it with things from both mine and my husband's childhood, which brings an essence of nostalgia to our home. Nothing goes to waste and everything has a purpose, which sometimes means I can end up with quite the eclectic mix. 

So without further ado...on with the tour!

First up our front entry and living room. I have played around with the entry space since we moved into our mid century cape 13 1/2 years ago. I finally found a look I liked using this second hand buffet we purchased from a neighbor who was moving out of state. The giant pitcher from Home Goods contains a bunch of lovely faux florals from Hobby Lobby. The pretty arched mirror is an inexpensive find from the Christmas Tree Shoppe last year. An old wooden shelf was placed above the mirror to display some of our favorite books. 

As you will notice as the tour goes on, I am a big fan of florals, both faux and real.

I love my swan...she was actually a thrift store find! (Her sister is on the bookshelf in the living room.)

The living room features Mr. Rosemary Lane's handywork. He built the bookshelves and created a custom fireplace mantel and surround. Last fall I took the plunge and painted the red brick of the fireplace white. No regrets!

Lots of yellow adorning the surfaces in the living room. On the mantel is a ceramic deer trio I bought for my mom as a mother's day gift over 40 years ago.

The little hutch in the living room was given to me by my sweet friend Colene a couple summers ago. She acquired it from a family member but had no place for the piece in her home, so I got a lovely gift providing me with what every home needs...extra storage!

The coffee table and end tables were yard sale casualties a number of years ago. A little sanding, some paint and Minwax and I have my somewhat matched set of living room tables.

This next room is our kitchen and I am sooooo excited about sharing it with you all. The week after Thanksgiving we started work on this space to give it a much needed update look. 

Here is what the kitchen looked like back in November...

...and here is how it looks now!

The hutch was a ReStore score last spring for only $40. A little black paint brought her up to the minute. I have to say that this hutch is one of my favorite furniture redoes.

Lots of yellow helps to brighten up the kitchen for Spring.

Right before Christmas we painted and added bead board to the kitchen walls. The color is Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore. I think it works really well with our honey colored cabinets. 

Again the before...

...and after. 
 I love my new light fixture over the kitchen table which happens to be another ReStore score for a mere $15.

Above the back slider is a shelf Mr. Rosemary Lane fashioned a few years ago from two drapery rod holders and a 1 X 4 inch piece of pre-painted wood from Home Depot. Now the white ceramic pieces add some drama to the shelf instead of blending in like they did before. The checked curtains are new and I did go a little over budget on them paying full price over at Country Curtains. But hey a girl has got to splurge once in a while right?

The kitchen island also received a little makeover in the way of board and batten and a fresh coat of bright white paint. (I will share more of my island with you in a later post. And for those of you who know I was asking for help in choosing new pendent lights for over the island, I did make a purchase...only now I have to wait to have them installed!)

The guest bedroom was "springified" with plenty of florals and light, breezy straw hats.

The beautiful gentleman's dressers belonged to my mother-in-law when she was a little girl. It is made of poplar and mahogany with a serpentine front. According to the antique dealer who refinished this piece it dates back to the mid 1800's. On top of the dresser is a wedding picture dating back to the late 1940's of my aunt with all of her sisters, including my mother, as bridesmaids.

A splash of yellow on the dining room table completes the tour.

I am so thrilled that you stopped by for a little visit. I truly hope you will not be a stranger and drop in on me from time to time...the door is always open!

Tomorrow is the 4th day of Marty's Spring Home Tours and it will continue starting with Jennifer from the beautiful blog Decorating Delirium. And to make sure not to miss any of the tours, here is this week's full schedule!

Monday – Mar 21

A Stroll Thru Life – Marty

Cuckoo4Design – Julia

Life on Virginia Street – Sarah

Thrifty and Chic – Alicia

Snazzy Little Things -Jeanette

Rain On A Tin Roof – Jenna

Tuesday – Mar 22

Making Home Base -Chelsea

Claire Brody Designs -Claire

Driven By Decor – Kris

Eleven Gables – Emily

Bliss @ Home – Kristin

Hymns & Verses – Doreen

Wednesday – Mar 23

Style Your Senses -Mallory

Our Southern Home – Christy

Simple Details – Pam

Decor To Adore – Laura

Monica Wants It – Monica

21 Rosemary Lane -Barbara

Thursday – Mar 24

Decorating Delirium – Jennifer

Simple Stylings – Summer

Remodelando La Casa – Cristina

Life Love Larson – Andrea

Our Fifth House -Carmel

No Minimalist Here – Sherry

Fri – Mar 25

Dimples & Tangles -Jennifer

Refresh Restyle – Debbie

Far Above Rubies -Anita

Talk Of The House – Kelly

Tidbits & Twine -Kim

It All Started With Paint – Linda

And Happy Spring!!!

XO

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The Everyday Home

UPDATE...Plans for the Kitchen Island

The kitchen project is moving along...slowly...but moving. As you know we replaced the old chandelier with one I had purchased at ReStore for a mere $15. The bead board and new paint have been on the walls for almost 2 months, so now it is time to get Mr. Rosemary Lane moving on the kitchen island project.

The island is rather large which is nice, however it is also finished in the same wood as the rest of the cabinets, which to me seems a bit monotonous. So I would like to change the island's look. It would also be nice to incorporate a couple of lantern style lights over the island to fill up all that open space and add visual interest to the room.

Here is the before and after of our room as you would see it entering from the dining room. I think the gray adds a bit of sophistication to this space. But like I said...the island is visually very boring!

Using my favorite editing sites, I was able to create a couple of mock-ups to give myself an idea of what my vision will look like in the kitchen. Starting with the concept of 2 new light fixtures above the island, one of the potential lantern styles I am thinking of using is from World Market.

 I really like the fact that it is constructed of wood and has a criss-cross pattern. I spotted this beauty a few weeks ago when my sister Kim and I were out doing a little Sunday shopping in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. And after pricing out a number of different lantern fixtures, this one comes in pretty reasonably at $129.

Another option for ceiling fixture is to go with a more traditional metal lantern. This particular light is from Lighting Direct and it's finish is in an antique bronze. It goes for $159. 

Now this is where Mr. RL comes in...I would love to see a new facade on the back of the island...something in the line of board and batten. Here are two mock ups of the refurbished kitchen island with each of the lighting choices. 
(Keep in mind these lanterns are not exactly to scale)

I'd also like to add a couple of Windsor style swivel bar stools to the end of the island.

My goal is to have the lights up and the board and batten on the island before St. Patrick's day. It is just a matter of deciding on what lantern style to go with and getting Mr. RL pumped to start the island project. I wouldn't mind at all if you would like to weight in with your opinion on the ceiling lights...I think I know which way to go but am having a hard time committing. I would so welcome any help I can get!

In the meantime hope you are all enjoying a great start to your week!

XO